Reluctant Acceptance - Part One
Characters: Salazar Slytherin and Helga Hufflepuff
Word Count: 1,340
Rating: PG (for one small litter swear word)
“You cannot possibly believe that teaching students who are not pure of blood will be an asset to this school, Helga!” Salazar’s words cut into the winter air, sending more chills down Helga’s spine. His eyes flashed with pride and anger and his long fingers clutched at his cloak, trying to ward off the cold.
Helga turned her head to him and smiled softly. For years the friends had been having the same argument. And for years, she had given him the same answer. “I simply cannot believe magic is only in the hearts of children born into our world,” she replied softly. Her warm eyes lingered over a group of students playing in the snow before meeting Salazar’s again. His green eyes narrowed at her smile.
“It is impossible to convince you of your shortcomings,” he snapped. He stomped away from Helga and returned to his office. Tossing his heavy cloak onto a stiff cherry chair, Salazar glared into the fire. His lips curled in annoyance as her face drifted back into his mind. “Ridiculous woman!” he spat into the flames. “She obviously cannot see what I’m trying to protect.” Salazar sat in front of the fire, gripping the smooth arms of his chair. He shook his head quickly, trying to force that cheerful smile from his mind, to no avail.
Moving over to the frost covered window, Salazar looked down at the courtyard. Helga’s brown robes were covered in snow and her face filled with laughter. She tossed a snowball at one of her students. Never before had Salazar seen a professor frolic in the snow with children before. Then again, the thought of his friends Rowena and Godric playing in the snow was laughable. Helga, however, seemed at home with the children.
Hegla looked up to Salazar’s window and offered him a small wave. Turning from her he once again seethed with annoyance. He wondered how many of those children had unworthy parents. Seeing Helga play with children so obviously beneath her increased his aggravation. Of all the people he knew, having her reject his beliefs so easily stung more than it should have.
Helga sighed softly as Salazar turned from his window. Momentarily distracted, Edmund hit her in the shoulder with a snowball. Laughing, she turned back to her students and announced it was time to move into the Great Hall for some hot tea. The sun was setting on the castle and soon the students would be having supper. Following the laughing children inside, Helga cast another glance to Salazar’s window and shook her head.
Inside the castle, Helga smiled at her students running into the Hall. They had such spirit and joy within them. She could not understand how he didn’t see this obvious magic. She brushed some errant snowflakes out of her golden hair and slipped off her fur cloak. The castle was warm and cheerful on this cold day.
She knew there was time before supper was to be served and so she climbed the stairs to her office. Never one to be in the center of attention, Helga had chosen a cozy corner room as her office. Once she shut the door, the world outside ceased to exist. A truly private person, she relished in the few moments of peace she had throughout the day. Gathering up some parchments, Helga readied a quill for corrections. No sooner than Helga had place the tip to parchment, her office door burst open. Startled, she jumped in her chair and cried out, “Salazar! What on Earth are you doing?”
Without speaking, he tossed an old book upon her desk. Helga brushed the dust off the cover and squinted at the faded letters. “The Slytherin History,” she read slowly. “What do you expect me to do with this?” she asked.
“Read it,” came his curt reply before walking from her office. Helga watched the empty doorway for a few moments but he did not appear again. Sighing, she opened the text and began to read. Each page was filled with the minutest occurrences for hundreds of years. Never before had she seen a family’s history complied so carefully. Each member was artfully outlined. Their personalities shone through their deeds and a family came to life in these pages. Helga became some absorbed in her reading that she didn’t notice how late the hour grew.
After a few hours, the fire had dimmed so dramatically that Helga could no longer make out the words before her. Rubbing her eyes gently, she set the book aside. All the information she had read was swirling around in her head. She had a small understanding about her friend now, though she still couldn’t agree with his plans. She knew Salazar wished to expel all the students from Hogwarts which did not have a pureblood lineage. Helga knew that there was more to magic that ancestry.
Helga gathered up the book and slowly made her way to Salazar’s office. Rapping on the door, he barked out, “Enter!” She slid in quietly and shut the door behind her. Salazar sat facing the fire and Helga approached cautiously. She laid his book on the desk and slipped into a chair next to him. Not sure what she should say, Helga merely stared into the flames.
“Well, did you read it?” he asked.
“Yes, most of it. I didn’t realize how far back your family went, Salazar,” she answered, still not meeting his eyes. She felt his burning glare on her but could not bear to see it for herself. Tugging at her robes, Helga felt nervous in front of him for the first time. She wasn’t sure why he had insisted on her reading that book. Salazar could be incredibly unpredictable at times.
“Perhaps now you’ll see what I’m trying to protect, Helga,” he whispered. “I hope that my children and your children will be able to have a legacy as rich as this,” he continued, gesturing to the book on the desk. “I do not wish for our families and our bloodlines to be watered down. It is because I care so much about this world that I work so hard to ensure its survival.”
Helga gathered the nerve to look at him. His usually sharp eyes had softened slightly. The angles of his face weren’t quite so harsh in this light. And the passion for his beliefs was so obviously etched across his face that Helga’s breath caught in her throat. For the first time, she saw something different in her friend.
Salazar looked up at the small sound. Helga’s eyes had grown wide and her lips slightly parted. Salazar looked behind him to see if something in the room had surprised her, but there was nothing there. Furrowing his brow, he tried to think what he could have possibly said. He knew that Helga would never fully agree with his ideas, but he hoped she might come to understand them. He stared into her eyes again, searching for some glimmer of understanding.
He grew frustrated and stood. The abruptness of his action caused Helga to jump slightly. Tension was thick in the room, adding to the heat from the fire. Helga spoke first. “It is getting late and I should be heading to my quarters.” She moved towards the door and forced herself not to look at the man standing beside the fire. An odd feeling had risen and she wasn’t sure how to address it.
As she was about to step out the door, Salazar grabbed her should and spun her around. “I know you think I’m a pretentious ass, but I hope you have the ability to accept me just as you accept all your students, regardless of their faults.” He let her go and turned away. Helga stood for a moment, watching him. She smiled softly and said to his back, “I don’t accept people despite their faults, I accept them because they have faults.” She stepped out of the room and quietly shut the door.
Word Count: 1,340
Rating: PG (for one small litter swear word)
“You cannot possibly believe that teaching students who are not pure of blood will be an asset to this school, Helga!” Salazar’s words cut into the winter air, sending more chills down Helga’s spine. His eyes flashed with pride and anger and his long fingers clutched at his cloak, trying to ward off the cold.
Helga turned her head to him and smiled softly. For years the friends had been having the same argument. And for years, she had given him the same answer. “I simply cannot believe magic is only in the hearts of children born into our world,” she replied softly. Her warm eyes lingered over a group of students playing in the snow before meeting Salazar’s again. His green eyes narrowed at her smile.
“It is impossible to convince you of your shortcomings,” he snapped. He stomped away from Helga and returned to his office. Tossing his heavy cloak onto a stiff cherry chair, Salazar glared into the fire. His lips curled in annoyance as her face drifted back into his mind. “Ridiculous woman!” he spat into the flames. “She obviously cannot see what I’m trying to protect.” Salazar sat in front of the fire, gripping the smooth arms of his chair. He shook his head quickly, trying to force that cheerful smile from his mind, to no avail.
Moving over to the frost covered window, Salazar looked down at the courtyard. Helga’s brown robes were covered in snow and her face filled with laughter. She tossed a snowball at one of her students. Never before had Salazar seen a professor frolic in the snow with children before. Then again, the thought of his friends Rowena and Godric playing in the snow was laughable. Helga, however, seemed at home with the children.
Hegla looked up to Salazar’s window and offered him a small wave. Turning from her he once again seethed with annoyance. He wondered how many of those children had unworthy parents. Seeing Helga play with children so obviously beneath her increased his aggravation. Of all the people he knew, having her reject his beliefs so easily stung more than it should have.
Helga sighed softly as Salazar turned from his window. Momentarily distracted, Edmund hit her in the shoulder with a snowball. Laughing, she turned back to her students and announced it was time to move into the Great Hall for some hot tea. The sun was setting on the castle and soon the students would be having supper. Following the laughing children inside, Helga cast another glance to Salazar’s window and shook her head.
Inside the castle, Helga smiled at her students running into the Hall. They had such spirit and joy within them. She could not understand how he didn’t see this obvious magic. She brushed some errant snowflakes out of her golden hair and slipped off her fur cloak. The castle was warm and cheerful on this cold day.
She knew there was time before supper was to be served and so she climbed the stairs to her office. Never one to be in the center of attention, Helga had chosen a cozy corner room as her office. Once she shut the door, the world outside ceased to exist. A truly private person, she relished in the few moments of peace she had throughout the day. Gathering up some parchments, Helga readied a quill for corrections. No sooner than Helga had place the tip to parchment, her office door burst open. Startled, she jumped in her chair and cried out, “Salazar! What on Earth are you doing?”
Without speaking, he tossed an old book upon her desk. Helga brushed the dust off the cover and squinted at the faded letters. “The Slytherin History,” she read slowly. “What do you expect me to do with this?” she asked.
“Read it,” came his curt reply before walking from her office. Helga watched the empty doorway for a few moments but he did not appear again. Sighing, she opened the text and began to read. Each page was filled with the minutest occurrences for hundreds of years. Never before had she seen a family’s history complied so carefully. Each member was artfully outlined. Their personalities shone through their deeds and a family came to life in these pages. Helga became some absorbed in her reading that she didn’t notice how late the hour grew.
After a few hours, the fire had dimmed so dramatically that Helga could no longer make out the words before her. Rubbing her eyes gently, she set the book aside. All the information she had read was swirling around in her head. She had a small understanding about her friend now, though she still couldn’t agree with his plans. She knew Salazar wished to expel all the students from Hogwarts which did not have a pureblood lineage. Helga knew that there was more to magic that ancestry.
Helga gathered up the book and slowly made her way to Salazar’s office. Rapping on the door, he barked out, “Enter!” She slid in quietly and shut the door behind her. Salazar sat facing the fire and Helga approached cautiously. She laid his book on the desk and slipped into a chair next to him. Not sure what she should say, Helga merely stared into the flames.
“Well, did you read it?” he asked.
“Yes, most of it. I didn’t realize how far back your family went, Salazar,” she answered, still not meeting his eyes. She felt his burning glare on her but could not bear to see it for herself. Tugging at her robes, Helga felt nervous in front of him for the first time. She wasn’t sure why he had insisted on her reading that book. Salazar could be incredibly unpredictable at times.
“Perhaps now you’ll see what I’m trying to protect, Helga,” he whispered. “I hope that my children and your children will be able to have a legacy as rich as this,” he continued, gesturing to the book on the desk. “I do not wish for our families and our bloodlines to be watered down. It is because I care so much about this world that I work so hard to ensure its survival.”
Helga gathered the nerve to look at him. His usually sharp eyes had softened slightly. The angles of his face weren’t quite so harsh in this light. And the passion for his beliefs was so obviously etched across his face that Helga’s breath caught in her throat. For the first time, she saw something different in her friend.
Salazar looked up at the small sound. Helga’s eyes had grown wide and her lips slightly parted. Salazar looked behind him to see if something in the room had surprised her, but there was nothing there. Furrowing his brow, he tried to think what he could have possibly said. He knew that Helga would never fully agree with his ideas, but he hoped she might come to understand them. He stared into her eyes again, searching for some glimmer of understanding.
He grew frustrated and stood. The abruptness of his action caused Helga to jump slightly. Tension was thick in the room, adding to the heat from the fire. Helga spoke first. “It is getting late and I should be heading to my quarters.” She moved towards the door and forced herself not to look at the man standing beside the fire. An odd feeling had risen and she wasn’t sure how to address it.
As she was about to step out the door, Salazar grabbed her should and spun her around. “I know you think I’m a pretentious ass, but I hope you have the ability to accept me just as you accept all your students, regardless of their faults.” He let her go and turned away. Helga stood for a moment, watching him. She smiled softly and said to his back, “I don’t accept people despite their faults, I accept them because they have faults.” She stepped out of the room and quietly shut the door.